Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-06-23
ARREST OF DEFAULTERS
WILSON AND LESLEY BEHIND
THE BARS.
HlnsieY Says That Wilson Was tho
Principal DcfEuItor : why tho
OverIssua was TEndS-The Anzou1s
Creator Than K.esiey Th0&gIaG.


-
JONES A. L. Wilson and his oouain,
Henry V. Lesley, the Chesapeake a Deia-
ware canal defaulterH, were both arrested
ON Saturday, Wilson in Canada aud Lesley
in Philadelphia and they are nov behind
the prison bars. Since they fed nearly
a year ago, the two men have been living
together or near each other, but Lesley,
broken down by the weight of the load
he was carrying, prey to remorse, PEN
niless and in bad health, and tormented
by the thought that he was an exile
barred out from his native city, was un-
able to hold out longer and voluntarily
came back TO Philadelphia. He was soon
apprehended, and gave information Of
the exact whereabouts lof his aooomplice
Wilson, who was on Saturday arrested by
the high constable of Toronto, Canada,
and pnt in jail to await the arrival of ex-
tradition papers.
Lesley reached home from Toronto on
Thursday, the 9th. He went to his COM
Portable home, at No. 1874 Poplar street,
and remained there unmoleated for over
week. On Friday aft~.noon Presids a
Gillingham OF the canal comps, y loarnod
that Lesley was in the city. In company
with Hood Gilpin, Esq, the counsel for
the company, he called upon Uhief-of-
Detectives Wood and told the chief he
knew where Lesley was to be found. a
detective was placed at his service, but
Mr.. GillinRhAm was not ready to take
action at that time. On Saturday morn
ing, however, he returned to Chief
Woods office and asked for Detectives
Miller and Tate, who were originally en-
ployed upon tho case. A warrant for
Lesley's arrest was sworn out by MIR.
! GillinghaIn before Magistrate Pole, charg-
ing Lesley with defrauding the canal
company out Of $21 ,684.62 by means OF
/ Illegally issuing checks.
l The warrant was intrusted TO the de-
tectives, who went at once to Lesley's
house, arriving there about noon. Tate
watched the rear of the house while
/ Miller rang the front door bell.
ttIs Mr.. Lesley at homer" he asked the
servant maid who appeared at the door.
Eyes, sir--n-o," answered the servant,
bewiIdered by the sudden question
sis Mrs. Lesley at home, thena pp'
| sued the detective. -,,s.
Az this moment Mrs. Lesley stepped
forward, but the detective had caught q
glimpse of man walking In the dining
room, and without further ceremony he
pushed on into the house. His companion
came around from the rear and followed
him In. The officers walked up. Detective
Miller asked, $50 this Is Mr.. Lesley?"
"Yes, sir.n
Henry v. Lesley?"
i'Thnt is my nnme.h
| The detective silently handed the war
rant to the defaulter, who read II. Then
he said he would accompany the officers,
who boarded q Ridge avenue car and pro-
ceeded to the Central station, where
Lesley was at once put In q cell. After
an interview with Chief Woods and
Superintendent of Police Lamon, he was
! arraigned before Magistrate Pole. Detec-
tive Miller testified that he and Officer
Tate had arrested LesleJ, and he asked
that the prisoner be held for q hearing
until to-day. Magistrate Pole fixed bail Mt
$4,000, which Lesley was unable to fur
nish, and he was reconsigned to his cell.
: In the evening Mr.. ,Gillingham arrived
of the Central Station and had q long
, interview with the prisoner. Lesley said
when he heard the crash was coming and
that the defalcation could be concealed
| no longer, he determined to leave the
| city. He arranged with Wilson that thoy
were 10 meet OF Toronto, Canada. Lesley
left town OF once. On june 29th, 1886,
Wilson wrote o letter to President Gilling-
ham, stating that the accounts of the
company had been falsified for years, ad-
hitting that money had been taken and
} bonds illegally issued amounting TO
| $6O9 900, and concluded with come In
} coherent expressions Of penitence and
anguish. This letter was written on the
} | afternoon Of June 29th, and few hours
l afterward Wilson was on his way to New
D | York. President Gillingham did not re-
D oeiye the note, which was left on his table
1 at the Canal Company's Office, until 3
D | O'Clock the next morning, about which
, hour the fugitive CROSSED the Niagara
Q river and found himseh on Canadian
!. soil. He went ~ Toronto, where he
n joined Lesley according to agreement.
For nearly q year the two men lived
Y together. They secured accommodations
q in q fashionable boarding house on 6her-
o bourne street, where they lived without
" molestation. As long as the money held
g out everything went we'll. Lesley's funds
& began to run short, but Wilson, who en-
|. gagged in business as an agent for aneedle
l. manufacturer, made enough to support
E) both. Wilson's wife and child came tc
II | Toronto. After time Lesley's health
/. began to fail. Penniless and in strange
" land, he became Respondent. He de
e termined to write to Samuel b. Huey
+, Esq.,, about the matter and try to or
le range for his return hme. Wilson toll
m him She was fool" for doing SO, bu
Lesley wrote. He received no answer
Then he addressed letter direct to tn
canal company, but this brought no re
sponse, either. Finally, in despair, h
left Toronto and came home, reckless o
the consequences. His arrest followed.
81 He stated to MIR. Gillingh1m that h
" desired TO make clean .hreest of th
20 whole matter. Then he declared that b
1 had been made the scapegoat, and tbs
P | Wilson was the principal defaulter. u
le claimed that he was responsible only 70
10 $50, ZOO of oveEissues, and of this amour
ne only $50, 900 came to him. His stoT
ne was that while he was secretary and treai
oR urer Of the company, Wilson, who WI
nc Mt time his assistant, came to him one dn
m and said he would he financially ruine
II. unless he got immediate help, and thi
Us the only way to raise the money was
IN issue bonds of the company. In
oe' moment OF weakness Lesley consented
nc the sohome. Afterwards more bont
aus were issued, but the whole amount
iIoated while Lesley was secretary M
treasurer, according TO his story, W
:, only $4,000. He expressed surpri
q, =, when told that the overissue, while
~ was secretary aud treasurer, and oonf
" quently Wilson's superior officer, W
~ ~ considerably more than this amount
%o will be remembered that when Wills
~ Ies went away he charged Lesley with lea
.,,a @ ing him astray, and put upon lin :
|, gn ~ onus of the whole transaction.
~ Lesley told where Wilson lived
en' Toronto. Chief Wood autographed IL.
NJ NJ Grasset, Chief Constable of Toronto,
~, arrest j. A. l.. Wilson, living at No.
nS9 Sherbourne street, In that city, on
0aS charge of forgery. In short time rel
,Ia was received stating that Wilson j
tha been captured and requesting that be
o- sent for at once. To this Ohief Wood
',n Joined that an indictment would be p
CURED and extradition papers prepared
soon as possible. Wilson was grea
L., surprised at his arrest and at once q
-, for his counsel, e. B. Osler, q. o. OF
I'm Toronto bar. Mr.. osler held consul
~ tion with his client in his cell, but
.e clined TO say anything for publication.
nv. @ The tefalcationB OF Wilson and Les
,, ,n,in amounted to $52, ,540.47 in cash
wno bonds of the canal company to the i
ns ns value of 5000, 400, II is doubtful Il
ny defaulters realized over $500, ,OOu of
.oio. amount. When they needed money q
Ie W issued bonds to raise II, and, as III
pay bonds were selling in the market at Q,
L, ~ siderable under par, they were Obliged
csse dispose Of them at discount. WI
tne the interest on the bonds became du
was met with the proceeds from the
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